Loose Ends: Sacrifice
by Koros45
Summary: Demak's story is one of knowledge. Knowledge and what he had to lose to gain it.


Loose Ends: Sacrifice

Koros45 doesn't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's

Demak had considered himself irrelevant for most of his life. His parents were already established entrepreneurs and had made a headway in improving relations between his village and the surrounding areas. His own future wasn't very important in the long run. The village would remain and his family was already well off. No matter what he did, he would be looked after and would have a solid future. After all, their culture had survived colonialism, the twenty first century, and the ensuing fallout as the world economy took a big hit.

Everything had been normal at the village despite the worldwide panic as major corporations and businesses were suddenly at risk. But talk of the stock market and overseas politics didn't matter when there was daily life maintaining the village ahead of them all. Demak had been studying to be a political analyst with a minor in professional dueling when it had happened. The Momentum Reactor in Neo Domino City exploded, claiming countless lives on the other side of the world.

The footage showed a white swath of energy erupting from the reactor and spreading out, consuming buildings and the ground alike as the land was torn in two. Leading to the current situation. Momentum Energy was supposed to be the cornerstone in new technology and clean energy, utilizing Kaiba Corporation's technology and taking it to the next step. Instead it led to a huge crash in the stock market as investors backed out from the potentially fatal investment.

Demak was well educated in the business aspect of the problem as his parents both delved in that field, spending more time away from the village as they squabbled over what should be done. Life in the village went on, yet Demak found it was harder to just ignore the problems of the outside world, especially when Duel Monsters' own stock took a hit, causing cards to suddenly either become completely worthless or extremely valuable as several of the card manufacturing facilities had been consumed in the reactor's explosion.

Demak had been lucky enough to have his own deck that he owned, using it sparingly to settle disputes or play against tourists when they were skeptical of the locals' skills with the game. His ace monster, Zeman, had shown them Demak's own skill well enough as his relatively straightforward beast deck tore through top tier decks like Dragunity, Machina, and Agents. It had been a mix of luck and skill – and the fact that his opponents underestimated him. The village may have been seen as simple by the visitors, but labels like primitive, third world, and destitute didn't apply. And especially now that the rest of the world was hurting his village was pretty well off all things considered.

The other bit of news that was vexing was the Nazca Lines, having erupted in flames of purple. The ancient geoglyphs in Peru had been things of wonder for years and now the event had attracted countless archaeologists, tourists, and scientists as they tried to make sense of what had happened. Demak's village was close enough to Peru to be a pit stop for most of them and he'd found himself taking charge more than he'd liked. A majority of tourists and researchers simply stayed the night before taking a bus ride to Peru the next day.

"Like I said, this changes things." A man said speaking to a server, dressed in white robes evoking ceremonial traditions. Demak's mother had hated the idea of appropriating their culture into a tourist tavern saying that it was offensive to their culture.

"What would you rather have? The North Americans make our land into a casino? At least this way we can capitalize on our traditions respectfully." His father had said.

The server nodded to him as the man kept speaking. He wasn't loud, but his grin that said "_I'm right so you should listen to me."_ was irksome. The man wore an all white suit – obviously as a sign of status and ordered his meal. The waitress wrote it down and walked away, making a face to Demak once the visitor couldn't see her face.

Demak wasn't comfortable being in charge of the bar, but his father owned it and he'd be dishonoring the family by saying no to that. His studies could wait.

The hours crept by as the man left, the server sighing as she was done for the day. The others left and Demak closed the bar himself before walking home and changing from his pressed suit into a loose nightshirt and shorts.

He woke up to his cell phone going off, the loud tones of a rock band waking him up.

"Hello? Demak here." he said and paused as he heard screaming on the other end.

_"Demak! The vault! Make sure you protect the vault!" _His father urged him.

He heard his father scream and tensed as he heard – gunfire!?

_"No! Mama! No!"_ His father yelled and then the line was silent for a moment.

_"Destroy your phone. We cannot be traced-!"_ His father yelled again as another gunshot was heard.

Demak's mind shut off for a moment as he contemplated what had happened. As though he was in a trance, he tore the battery from the phone and destroyed the device. On his end at least, the call wouldn't be traced. Then he got on his laptop and contacted security in the area his parents had been in, and informed that the local law enforcement were investigating the attack.

Why had this happened? What was so important to put his parents' lives at such a risk? Demak couldn't say as he went to the secret vault under the family common area and looked at the contents inside. A flashdrive. Some paper documents. And an attached note.

He put on leather gloves and read the paper. A bunch of physics writings and ties to a word Demak was unfamiliar with. The physics all went over his head but it involved speculation on parallel realities and timelines connecting them to Momentum.

Then there was the flashdrive. It was a bunch of carvings found in caves close to his village – drawings from ancient times that a few scientists had found interesting before dismissing them as yet more evidence of human thinking in the past.

But these made no sense. Demak narrowed his eyes as they showed nearly identical correlations to some of the creatures in the Nazca Lines. A Spider loomed behind a man, his arms spread out as the spider stared ahead with simple dot eyes engraved in the cave wall. Then there was a lizard, a monkey, what looked like a hummingbird and vaguely what could be a giant.

There were two more picture files and Demak clicked the first one and was further intrigued with three more images. One was of a whale carving, head looking to the right as a person was depicted pointing forwards, spurring the whale onward. And the second was of a condor, hovering over the other six creatures. Behind the condor was a shapeless entity, two eyes staring at Demak as its form was impossible to comprehend given the limitations of the carvings.

He felt a sense of dread as he clicked on the next folder.

This one was similar, but it depicted a large serpent in the sky, body of light shining down on five dragons, each one hovering over a person, a part of the dragon's body reflected next to each person.

It was vague and Demak blinked as he remembered a story told to children in the village about a clash between light and darkness.

Then the letter. Demak removed the flashdrive and wiped his computer's memory before he opened the letter.

_"Dear Colleagues,_

_How are you two doing? I am looking for a site to test our theory on Momentum Research. Given the significance of the cave carvings, I'd like to have the base of operations either in your village or somewhere in Peru. If you can provide us with an area to begin our tests, you will be handsomely accommodated. I hope to set up my operations in the area within a year. Rest assured, your people will be well looked after and the utmost of precautions will be done to ensure your people are safe._

_For the splendor in The First Chaos in the Matter of All Things_

_Yours Truly,_

_Clark Smith"_

The letter ended and Demak was confused.

Clark Smith? Who was that? And the ending of the letter was nothing that he'd heard of before. Demak rubbed a hand over his eyes before he continued his research. His mother had brought her computer on the trip but his father hadn't. Demak made sure that the camera was covered and the internet was disconnected from his father's computer as he booted it up.

He spent the next few hours in shock as he went through his father's saved e-mails, finding the same tagline at the end of most of the business contacts his father spoke with. "The First Chaos in the Matter of All things." It made no sense to Demak. The other thing that shocked Demak was his father's own greed. He knew his parents had been well off, but this Clark Smith person had apparently worked with them in the past. The man was young and a prodigy, able to devote a lot of time to researching Momentum's applications even as the new Professor Fudo in Neo Domino City had just published his findings with his own colleagues, Rex and Rudger Godwin. His father's greed was apparent when he'd offered to accept Smith's deal, writing that the fate of the village had little interest to him.

It made sense in a twisted way – explaining his father's lofty goals connecting to the world outside the village. Yet the man had loved the culture and atmosphere of his home. It was paradoxical, as the promise of success and money had made the man take more drastic deals as the e-mails continued.

And now he was probably dead. Demak froze as he processed the thought.

He could find out more later. For now, the vault needed to be protected. Demak put everything away, applying a new seal to the letter and storing everything in the safe before he went to the local library and looked for answers on their database.

He didn't find much. Putting in the tagline "The First Chaos in the Matter of All things." didn't pull up much, only a rough translation of the term as "Yliaster". Researching the Nazca Lines was another ordeal all-together as several theories, alien conspiracies, and even the plot of a few movies were centered around the Peruvian monuments.

Luckily, Clark Smith was a public name, so Demak found the man's name in published works. He was working in Japan under the dubious title of Momentum Entrepreneur. Given the fallout of the reactor's detonation – now dubbed 'Zero Reverse', it was a miracle the man was still given a business platform. Demak narrowed his eyes. How in the hell was the man still in the business? And publicly as well. It made no sense to him.

Demak checked out some books on local legends as well to look at the carvings in more detail and moved the vault into the safe at the diner. He felt more at peace with that. Then he used the public phone to call the same security branch he'd called earlier. Still nothing was heard from his parents and Demak assumed the worst.

He distracted himself before his shift began reading through one of the books he'd checked out. It described the ancient battle of light and darkness, connecting the vague carvings of the Nazca Lines to elder gods tied to the Earth, clashing with an ancient dragon from the stars five-thousand years ago. It was too abstract for Demak to understand as all available materials on the subject were only partially translated. He sighed and put the book away as he started his shift.

/

"You mind if I get a quick meal?" Another man asked. Demak frowned. It was about half an hour to close and he'd likely make everyone there work overtime.

"Depends on what you want." Demak said with a smile, leading him to a table. The man was tall and had tanned skin with white hair that may have once been blonde. He returned the smile and simply ordered a drink and some fries, slowly eating them as if he was waiting for something.

"Do you ever regret things in your life?" The man asked him and Demak said no by reflex. A lie, of course, but an appropriate one considering he didn't know the tourist.

"I have – many regrets." The man said as he took a sip of his water.

Demak looked to the man and wondered what he could be talking about.

"Are you thinking of traveling to Peru? The sights might – ease your pain." Demak suggested, hoping the man would finish talking so that he could close up in peace.

"I already went there. And what I saw was illuminating. I'm only on a return trip to confirm something." The other man said with the same smile.

"What's that?" Demak responded, wondering why he'd decide to return – the man's accent was foreign and the return trip would likely be costly.

"I felt that I lost some of my humanity the last time I went here." The man said, closing his eyes in what looked like sorrow. "This trip returning has confirmed that. Something in my old heart has died."

The man looked over to Demak and seemed a bit surprised he was still listening to him.

"Thank you for hearing this old man ramble on. I'm Rudger." The man said and Demak narrowed his eyes. Rudger was a very uncommon name to have for a Japanese person, even if he looked like he was the son of immigrants.

"Could you be Rudger – Godwin?" Demak asked and the other man grinned.

"Guilty as charged. I came here as a way to mourn, I suppose."

"To mourn?" Demak asked him.

"Yes. I feel that – in a way – the Momentum's reactor meltdown was my fault. Had I – spoken in more depth with Professor Fudo, perhaps things wouldn't have ended up like this." Rudger admitted to him.

"Well how much do we humans really control this technology? It gives us transportation and energy, but it a way it controls us. My village is one of the few places I see people live lives where they're not dependent on it." Demak said.

"True. But maybe you would hate me if you really knew how much I was involved." Rudger said.

"I've read your research. You're a professional in your field. Any accident that occurred was most likely a fluke. Now, if you'd like I can get you a drink." Demak offered.

"No. Please, you've heard enough from me now. I hope you have a good night." Rudger said as Demak turned to the other customers.

There were three more, a couple and an older man in the back of the room. The couple was finished and would leave soon, and the old man was also nearing the end of his meal. The staff was a well-oiled machine at this point at night and they'd close soon. Demak sighed when no one was looking. It was a lot of stress he was under. His father had not contacted him using the store phone and fear that the man may well be truly dead set it.

Then he heard a gunshot and the store staff panicked. A new pair of people entered the room, dressed in black tactical gear covering every inch of their skin and holding semi-automatic weapons in their hands.

"Where's the documents?!" One of the men yelled, pointing the gun at Demak.

"I don't know what you want!" Demak said, holding up his hands and the man sighed, shooting again at the roof.

"The documents, or your life!" The shooter yelled again.

His life. Then his mother and father were truly dead if these men were targeting him.

Demak braced for the bullets to shoot but instead he heard a snapping noise.

Rudger had stood. He was a large man when he stood to his full height and frowned though his eyes were calm give the situation. He had put a hand on the gunner's shoulder and Demak heard the shooter yell out in pain as the intruder's entire arm seemed to move unnaturally fast in a way a limb shouldn't move.

The other shooter turned and fired at the man intervening and Demak swore he saw the guest grin as the bullets hit him.

Then there was a pulse of purple and Rudger fell back, emerging from the fire with black robes aligned with a red fringe.

The second shooter turned and fired again, this time Demak was not so lucky as he felt the bullets' sting in his chest as he slumped over.

The stranger stood up now in his black robes. Demak saw a purple glow from the man's right arm and then his vision faded. He heard screaming and more snapping noises as bodies fell.

"Leave here and I saw nothing." Demak heard Rudger say as footsteps could be heard leaving the establishment. The couple most likely, followed by the older man and the rest of the store staff.

Demak's vision returned though it was hazy, as though he was looking through smoke. He put a hand to his stomach and held it to his face. It was soaked in his blood.

"Demak, I'm sorry." The robed man said as he stooped over him, kneeling to put a hand on Demak's face. The gunfire was fatal and it would be the last thing Demak would ever feel. Rudger's face was the last thing he would see etched into his brain. Two red markings down his tanned face, his long earrings shaped like seeds with rings around the wide parts. And grey eyes that were a mix of sympathetic and determined.

"This was not your tragedy to bear." Rudger said and Demak noticed the arm. Glowing purple with the same outline of a spider on it.

"But if you wish to live, I can speak to you on_ their_ behalf."

The pain in Demak's chest vanished as he felt fire consume him, burning away everything until not even his senses remained. He lost all feeling, even the inside of his own mouth or the beating of his pulse or the flash of synapses in his brain when he had a thought.

Then he didn't just see or hear or feel as all three feelings returned with an intensity he'd never felt before.

Demak _beheld._

The black body was illuminated with a yellow glow, tribal markings giving the tall and lanky monkey that stood before him definition. It was gigantic, dwarfing whatever state of matter Demak was as it looked down on him with an unreadable face.

_"Demak. The King of the Underworld wishes you be my Emissary."_ The God in front of him said. It was not a spoken stream of words. He could feel them against his soul.

_"Why?"_ was all Demak could think of in response.

_"You seek purpose. Answers. And closure. We can give you a path to all three. But first - you must allow me to seek refuge in your own soul. Your heart will become my heart. Your blood my blood. I will live on in this world through you, Demak." _

"_What is – why am I worthy of this – blessing?"_

_"You are you. And you are the fire of vengeance that the Immortals require to reshape this world. Join with me and your wish shall be granted." _

Demak didn't have to say anything as his choice was made.

The fire returned and Demak screamed in pain as it burned his soul and his blood. Things he could only guess were organs popped and incinerated as they were then reconstructed. His vision returned in a haze of purple as his body had ignited with the violet fire.

It finally died down and he felt the gigantic Immortal known only as Cusillu breathing with every breath he took. Now they were connected and most of the answers he sought were answered when it let him glance into his mind.

He was host to a God. The monkey he'd seen in the carvings. And one of the carvings in Peru. It was a creature of the Nazca Lines – an Immortal that required human souls to sustain its form. And now its power was his to command – within reason.

Demak looked to his deck, now strengthened by the power of the Dark Signers, Zeman evolving into a creature of Darkness and manifesting before him as it bowed to him before fading away for his later beck and call. Beside Rudger, Demak beheld a woman with the lower half of a spider, bowing to him as she closed her eight eyes in reverence to the newcomer, her mandibles at a rest before she vanished as well.

"As a further symbol of trust, I gift this to you." Rudger said, holding out a card for Demak to take.

_Ancient Fairy Dragon_. The God known as Cusillu breathed as Demak looked to it. Now he knew it was a weapon of the Enemy. One of the Crimson Dragon's claws. And now it was unable to fight back. Demak could tear it in half with but a gesture, but he knew doing so would be moot.

And besides it would be more fun to use in tormenting the Signers once they finally showed up. The entire history of the universe had unfolded in Demak's mind as he saw the Crimson Dragon's five servants join it in battle with the great five Immortals. The great yellow ape Cusillu, the red spider Uru, the blue giant Ccapac Apu along with the emerald lizard Ccarayhua attacking from the ground while the orange hummingbird Aslla piscu flew overhead to attack the dragons.

The shooters had already been taken care of by Rudger and there was no immediate revenge to be had. Even the pondering of who Clark Smith was and how he was connected to his parents didn't bother Demak anymore. He was after all part of a much bigger world now. He smiled. It was a world that would make the likes of his father's petty aspirations at business tremble. In order to make this new world, the Dark Signers would have to tear the old one down.

"When do we begin?" Demak asked the other man and Rudger smiled.

"Once all the pieces on the board begin to move. That is when the Signers and Dark Signers will have their fated battle – Five thousand years in the making!"

Demak smiled as the letter from Clark Smith did give him a choice. The village he was in had sadly been consumed – a necessary offering for Cusillu's resurrection. That left the other site – yet -

Why follow the suggestions of Yliaster when he and Rudger could do it themselves? He brought up the site on his personal foot wide holo-screen and proposed the idea to the Spider Dark Signer.

A necessary sacrifice considering the stakes at hand. 


End file.
